Topic > Cultural rights and cultural relativism in the article...

The article “Cultural Defence” is a great example of how cultural rights and cultural relativism interact with each other. Cultural relativism is the position that the values ​​and standards of cultures differ and deserve respect (page 30). In the article the author explains how a man burned himself alive to draw attention to the oppression of Buddhism in Vietnam. His friends recorded it and were charged with second-degree manslaughter. The author uses an impartial tone to explain why they did what they did. The author tried to understand the social norm of the other culture without using his own morals or the social norms of his own culture. It was clear that the men didn't think they had done anything wrong. It is a common practice that ethnocentrism is the tendency to view one's own culture as the best and to judge the behavior and beliefs of culturally different people by one's own standards (page 30). “Virginity test in Türkiye” illustrates ethnocentrism. In Turkey there is a tradition according to which, the day after the first wedding night, the bloody sheet hangs from the window to show the purity of the new wife. Some believe it is barbaric and degrading to women. Western supporters also protest against forced virginity testing on hospital patients, students and government job applicants. Are these really human rights violations? Or it's Americans comparing other cultures to their norms. Anthropologist Carol Delaney uses cultural relativism when searching for answers. Turks believe that the seed of a man, sailors, can grow into a woman at any time. For example, if a woman has sex two years before marriage, that man's seed can grow at any time from that point on. Since status, land and wealth pass from father to son, there must be absolute certainty that the child is his. The bloody sheet helps demonstrate that the husband can only be the father of the child. In the context of Turkish beliefs about procreation, the virginity test can make It a realm of justice and morality beyond and superior to particular countries, cultures, and religions (page 31). The article “a torture rite for girls” illustrates the thrust of human rights in different cultures. In Africa and East Asia, several societies practice female genital mutilation (FGM). The text states that girls, sometimes as young as ten, have their genitals cut out, including the clitoris and labia, and then the whole thing is seeded with only a small hole for urine and menstrual blood. Often this procedure is performed without anesthesia. Human rights defenders argue that this is contrary to fundamental human rights. For over forty years the weather has spoken against FGM without success. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism come into play when defending the traditions and beliefs of other cultures. Western societies compare their culture to African and East Asian groups. To understand why these people cut their girlfriends, you have to look from their point of view. Many participate in cutting the gentian to ensure that the girl's virtue is still intact. As in Turkish society, possessions and power are passed down through the male lineage. The girls dying ensure that there is no doubt as to who the child's father is. The use of these four concepts interact when visualized